Ginger

Ginger

Ginger’s scientific name is Zingiber officinale. In Hebrew it is usually called “ג’ינג’ר”, and in standard Hebrew “זנגביל”. (A point worth getting right: ginger is not horseradish. Horseradish — “חזרת” in Hebrew, with which ginger is sometimes confused — is a completely different plant, Armoracia rusticana, from the cabbage family, with an entirely different, volatile kind of pungency.)

Ginger is a rhizome from the same family as turmeric, and it is one of the few cases in which an ancient folk remedy has stood up to clinical trials — at least for one well-defined use: nausea. That is also where the discussion should focus, because the other claims are much weaker.

Gingerols and shogaols — and why dried is not “weaker”

This point is almost always presented wrongly, including in professional sources.

• Gingerols (mainly 6-gingerol) are the main pungent compounds in fresh ginger.
• When dried or heated they undergo dehydration and turn into shogaols (6-shogaol).
• Long cooking also produces zingerone, which is sweeter and less pungent.

The common claim that “fresh contains more active compounds than dried” is not accurate. Shogaols are not a wasted breakdown product — they are more pungent than gingerols, and in some studies they showed stronger anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity.

The correct conclusion: fresh and dried ginger are different profiles, not strong versus weak. Fresh is bright, lemony and sharp; dried is deep, warm and concentrated. Both are active.

Nausea — the best-established use

This is where the research is strongest, and it is worth breaking down by type.

Nausea in pregnancy — the best evidence. Several meta-analyses of controlled trials found that ginger significantly reduces nausea in pregnancy compared with placebo, and in some comparisons it was about as effective as vitamin B6. Leading obstetric organizations, including the American ACOG, mention ginger as an accepted non-drug option for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

This is a point that needs correcting: many sources issue a blanket warning against ginger in pregnancy. The research picture is the opposite — it has been studied precisely in this context and found effective and safe in usual amounts (up to about 1 gram a day). The caution applies to high doses and concentrated supplements, not to ginger tea or culinary use. Still — in pregnancy, consult your doctor or midwife before taking it regularly.

Motion sickness: mixed results. Some trials found it effective, others found no advantage over placebo. Reasonable for a personal trial, not a promise.

Post-operative nausea: meta-analyses found a moderate reduction in incidence, usually at a dose of about 1 gram before anesthesia.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea: the evidence is weak and inconsistent. Some studies showed improvement as an add-on to drug treatment, others did not. Especially important: cancer patients must consult before taking ginger, because of its effect on platelets and possible interactions.

The proposed mechanism: gingerols and shogaols act as antagonists of 5-HT3 (serotonin) receptors in the digestive tract — the same receptor family targeted by anti-nausea drugs such as ondansetron — and they also speed up gastric emptying.

Other uses — what was found and what wasn’t

• Period pain (dysmenorrhea) — relatively good evidence. Several controlled trials and meta-analyses found that ginger (about 750-2,000 mg a day during the first days of menstruation) reduces pain about as effectively as ibuprofen or mefenamic acid in some comparisons. The mechanism: inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis via COX — the same pathway NSAID drugs act on. This is the second-strongest use after nausea.

• Osteoarthritis: meta-analyses found a statistically significant but small improvement in pain and function. A real effect, but a modest one — not a substitute for treatment.

• Post-exercise muscle soreness (DOMS): several trials found a moderate reduction in pain with regular intake of about 2 grams a day. The findings are inconsistent.

• Gastric emptying and dyspepsia: ginger speeds up gastric emptying — an established finding in imaging studies. It may help with a feeling of fullness and slow digestion.

• Blood sugar and blood lipids: meta-analyses found small drops in HbA1c and fasting glucose in type 2 diabetes. The effect is small and the studies are heterogeneous — not a substitute for treatment, but not meaningless either.

Nutrition facts — and why they’re not the point

It should be said clearly: a realistic serving of ginger is 5-15 grams, so its mineral and vitamin contribution is negligible. It should not be treated as a source of nutrients. All of its value lies in its active compounds — the gingerols and shogaols — not in this table.

Downsides and risks

• Heartburn and reflux — the most common side effect. Ginger relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter and increases acidity, so it may worsen GERD in some people — exactly those who sometimes turn to it to improve digestion. If ginger gives you heartburn, that is a good reason to stop.

• Anticoagulant effect. Ginger has platelet-inhibiting activity (thromboxane inhibition). At food doses this is negligible, but it is relevant at high supplement doses. Consult a professional if you take warfarin, aspirin or clopidogrel, and stop supplements a week or two before surgery.

• Lowering blood sugar and blood pressure. A mild effect that may add up with drugs for diabetes or high blood pressure. It calls for monitoring, not necessarily avoidance.

• Gallstones. Ginger increases bile secretion. In people with gallstones this may trigger an attack. Consult a professional.

• High doses: above about 4-5 grams a day — abdominal discomfort, gas, diarrhea and mouth irritation.

• Pregnancy: as noted — considered effective and safe in usual amounts (up to about 1 gram a day) and one of the recommended non-drug options for nausea. High-dose supplements are not recommended, and use should be coordinated with your doctor or midwife.

• Commercial ginger drinks — the big practical downside. “Ginger ale” and most bottled ginger drinks usually contain flavor extract or a negligible amount of real ginger, plus 25-35 grams of sugar per can. They are not a way to consume ginger — they are a sugary drink. The same goes for commercial “shots” with apple juice as the first ingredient.

• Candied ginger sweets: candied ginger has sugar as its main ingredient.

How much and in what form

The dose studied in most trials is about 1-1.5 grams a day of powder, divided into several doses.

Practical use

• Real ginger tea: 4-5 thin slices of fresh root, boiling water, cover and leave for 10 minutes. Covering matters — it keeps the volatile oils in the cup. Add lemon and a little honey to taste.
• Grate it from the freezer. The best practical trick: frozen root grates easily on a grater, without peeling, and keeps for months without drying out or going moldy.
• Peel with a teaspoon — the skin is thin, and scraping with the edge of a spoon removes it without wasting the flesh.
• Add it at the end of cooking for a sharp, fresh flavor, or at the beginning for a deep, rounded one.
• For nausea: tea or real ginger candy, in small amounts throughout the day rather than one large dose.
• For period pain: start on the first day of menstruation, about 1 gram a day in divided doses — that is the protocol in most trials.
• Read the label on drinks — real ginger in the ingredient list, not “flavor extract”, and without 30 grams of sugar.
• Storage: in the freezer (recommended), or in the fridge in a paper bag for up to about two weeks.

Summary

Ginger is one of the cases in which the folk claim has stood the test: for reducing nausea — especially in pregnancy — there is a good research basis, and obstetric bodies recognize it as an accepted non-drug option. A common misunderstanding deserves correcting here: the caution about ginger in pregnancy applies to concentrated supplements, while usual amounts (up to about 1 gram a day) were studied precisely there and found effective. The second-strongest use is period pain, where trials found effectiveness similar to ibuprofen in some comparisons.

Two clarifications that prevent common mistakes: dried ginger is not “weaker” than fresh — drying turns gingerols into shogaols, which are more pungent and sometimes more active, simply different. And commercial ginger drinks are not ginger — usually flavor extract with 25-35 grams of sugar per can. Finally, if it gives you heartburn — that is its most common side effect, and a good reason to stop.